


Cheerleading Isn't Even A Real Sport

by SexyTrash (heyitschoc)



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, But Only if you squint really hard - Freeform, Cheerleader Oh Sehun, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Enemies to Lovers, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Jock Kim Jongin | Kai, Kaihun - Freeform, Kim Jongin | Kai is a Little Shit, M/M, Mentioned Other K-pop Artist(s), Minor Kim Junmyeon | Suho/Wu Yi Fan | Kris, More EXO characters to come, Oblivious Kim Jongin | Kai, Oh Sehun is a Little Shit, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Other Fandoms Not Mentioned in Tags, POV Kim Jongin | Kai, Sweet Park Chanyeol, sekai - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-08
Updated: 2020-09-06
Packaged: 2021-03-05 21:53:50
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 10,945
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25782430
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/heyitschoc/pseuds/SexyTrash
Summary: Jongin had always been the Alpha man. The so-called Top Dog of their school. He’s the vice-captain of the Basketball Team, maintains a good GPA, and is generally well-loved by the whole student body. That is, except for Oh Sehun. Jongin doesn’t really know why, but the guy just seems to really hate his guts. The fact that he constantly makes fun of him for being a male cheerleader probably doesn’t help either.
Relationships: Kim Jongin | Kai/Oh Sehun
Comments: 14
Kudos: 70





	1. Getting Stuffed.

**Author's Note:**

> This is a fanfic that's been brewing in my head for a bit now and thought, why the heck not? AKA A self-indulgent story of two rivals coming to terms with the fact that they may not be so different after all.

Wednesdays are always the worst for Jongin. Not only does he have back to back AP classes, he also has drill practice running for two hours after school. Well, nobody said maintaining good grades while being a good athlete was going to be easy. With everybody spilling out of the classroom, Jongin braved the crowd and made his way towards his locker where he found Chanyeol already waiting for him, his tall stature towering above everybody else.

“No, you can’t get out of practice today Yeol, Kris said he needs you to run Defence Drills with him.” Chanyeol opened his mouth to protest but was immediately cut off with, “and I don’t care that he scares you, I need my Power Forwards to play nice on and off the court.”

“You know, you’re not as sweet as your fanbase make you out to be,” Chanyeol grumbled, his cheeks filling up as he let out a resigned sigh. Jongin pointedly ignored him. Out of the corner of his eyes, a spot of bleached hair stood out amongst the sea of blacks and browns. _Oh Sehun._

He was wearing a black Denim Jacket with a pair of white shorts that went just above his knees. _Is that even allowed?_ Sehun was talking to one of the girls in the Cheering Squad, nodding along to what she was saying and smiling, eyes reduced to crescents. Jongin wondered if he always smiled like that?

He wasn’t allowed to wonder too long though as the other man suddenly cocked his head to look at Jongin, who clearly missed whatever pathetic excuse Chanyeol was mustering to get out of practice with Kris. Gone was the timid smile and in its wake, Sehun’s lips straightened, eyes bore lazy, and his eyebrow cocked high. It was almost as if he was asking _‘what are you looking at?’_

Jongin ignored the tell-tale sign of despise and returned the unimpressed look Sehun gave him with a smoulder; his lips puckered to half a pout, eyes looking dreamy before he sent a wink towards Sehun’s direction. _‘Your move, Oh.’_

In lieu of an answer, Sehun broke contact and returned back to the girl, his face breaking out into an easy smile once more. Whatever then, Jongin counted this one as a win.

“…so in conclusion, I don’t think it’s a good idea to let me run drills with Kris.” Jongin was pulled back down to reality and he looked at Chanyeol for a hot second, confused.

“Oh my god, are you still here?! You’re doing this Yeol. You still owe me from last month when you conveniently forgot to help with the tryouts.” Jongin decided it was only fair that he slammed the locker door hard, barely missing Chanyeol’s fingers as he went on with his day.

On Fridays, Jongin is usually the last to leave the School Gymnasium (except this week he had Chanyeol, Kris, and Yixing to practice with). Making use of the extra hour of drill exercises while the Cheer Squad comes in to practice their routine. It’s not really an ideal set up but this is the only place they can practice throwing people in the air without threat of serious injury since they can scatter safety mats on the floor.

This also meant that Jongin usually saw Sehun in loose shirts and sweatpants that always hung too low from his waist. A sight that never fails to make Jongin snicker.

“Nice Sweats Oh.” He called out that particular afternoon, a spinning ball delicately balanced on his index finger.

“Thanks, your mom lent them to me last night.” Jongin should be offended, but he really isn’t. Besides, part of the fun is getting a reaction out of Sehun.

“Dude, if I want a comeback, I’d get it from your dad’s ass.” If Sehun wanted to play this game then Jongin is happy to volley.

“I’m surprised you were able to aim that good cos last I heard you’re a lousy shot. Wasn’t it you who missed the winning shot against JYP High last season?” Okay so perhaps Sehun is way too good at dishing it out. Jongin heard a collective gasp and a selection of _‘oohs’_ and ‘ _aahs’_ while he felt his heart plummet to his pit. “Now, if you’ve got nothing more to say, can you move along so we can practice? Some of us have actual competitions to win.”

“Sheesh, don’t get your panties in a bunch man, people might start thinking you’re playing an actual sport here.” This time there was no audible gasp or provocative jeers. Instead, silence fell all over him. Proud of himself and his snide comments, Jongin didn’t notice the sudden hush that befell the building.

It was only when the ball was slapped out of his hand that he noticed Sehun had closed the distance between them. Gone was the indifference in his eyes that was often reserved for Jongin. Instead his eyes had a certain fire of fury beneath them, his brows knitted close together, and his nostrils flaring up.

“Take that back.” His voice was surprisingly calm and Jongin doesn’t know what’s worse, the way he looked or the way he sounded? He wasn’t allowed the luxury to decide however, as he felt another body come between him and Sehun. It was Luhan, one of the other handful of guys in the Cheerleading Squad.

“Sehun c’mon, we need to practice, just ignore him.” Luhan’s voice snapped Jongin out of his reverie as well. He took a step and opened his mouth, the apology cut short on the tip of his tongue when he saw Luhan turn back to him, his face laced with vague disappoint while he stood in front of Sehun. Jongin wasn’t sure if he was protecting Sehun from causing a ruckus or Jongin from getting viciously attacked.

“Just get out of here, we’re supposed to get the entire gymnasium for the next two hours anyway.” Were the last words Luhan spoke to him before Kris and Chanyeol started to drag him out and into the locker rooms. Everybody else dissipated as the spectacle ended with the Cheer Squad going silently into formation and the rest of the student body either leaving the building or hanging out to watch the team practice their routine.

Inside the locker room, the young athlete is still a little shaken by the way Sehun looked at him. He didn’t mean to go that far. “Shit that was stupid!” He groaned; the heel of his hands pressed against his eyes.

“Yeah tell me about it, that Manleader really needs to chill,” Chanyeol scoffed.

“No, I meant what I did. Jesus, I should go back and apologise.” _Yeah, that would be the right thing to do._ Jongin didn’t make it all the way up from the bench when Kris’ hands pushed him back down.

“I don’t think so buddy, you’re going straight into a bloodbath if you went out there again and talked to Sehun. Why don’t you just let it cool down for now, hit the showers, and let’s all call it a day huh?”

Count on Kris to be the voice of reason in this situation. Looking up to his senior, Jongin gave a simple nod and dragged himself into the showers. Hopefully he can rinse off the shame along with his sweat and filth.

That night found Jongin restless and anxious, the snide comment along with Sehun’s look of disgust lingering in his mind even as he tried to occupy himself with trying to finish an essay due for next week.

The weight of the incident bled out through the weekend, finding Jongin distracted while out grocery shopping with his mother and then again while he was with Kyungsoo, a good friend and neighbour, playing Rift Runs on Diablo III.

Mondays are usually the slowest days of the week. This Monday however found itself to be even more tedious than Jongin expected. His day started with him sleeping through his alarm clock thanks to all the tossing and turning that had impeded his sleep for the last two days now, not to mention today would be the first playoffs for the season which meant he had to be on his A-Game.

Rushing through breakfast, Jongin yelled his goodbyes to his parents as he rushed to school. Already there were a bunch of schoolmates who are greeting him at the gate, wishing him well and letting him know they’ll be watching the game. Truly it was heart-warming. Smiling through the crowd and nodding at each of their best wishes and greetings, Jongin made his way to his locker room where he found Kris waiting for him.

“Hey, you cool?” The team Captain asked, obviously referring to the incident just the other day.

“Yeah, why wouldn’t I be?” He scoffed, shrugging with an air of nonchalance while depositing the books he didn’t need for the day.

“You’re right, I just don’t want you thinking too much about what Sehun said last Friday.” _Right, the winning shot that cost them the championship._ Suddenly, Jongin felt the heat rise to his head and he may have slapped this locker shut a little too hard if the raise on Kris’ eyebrows are anything to go by.

“I’m gonna be fine, don’t worry. I’m not fucking up this time.” He said, directly looking at Kris with determination in his eyes. They stayed there for a moment before Kris nodded and gave him a light pat on the head, something he’s often done whenever he senses Jongin is stressed.

“I know you won’t,” He paused before dragging his hand down to Jongin’s shoulder giving the younger a comforting squeeze, “we’ll give them hell,” and with that, Kris left the younger for the rest of the day to get through his classes.

Jongin was just on his way to the first period when he saw Sehun passing through the hallways. He’s wearing his white shorts again today which just made his pale legs stand out even more. He also noticed he was wearing an oversized letterman jacket which had ‘ _HUANG ZITAO_ ’ embroidered on the back. Jongin didn’t know why it annoyed him how good the jacket looked on him. Sehun must have sensed him staring cos he suddenly cocked his head towards his direction and Jongin was quick to look away, ducking his head until he turned a corner towards the first period.

The rest of the morning was pretty much uneventful except for the barrage of people coming up to him to wish them luck. By the time the bell rang, Jongin was just thankful to get called over the intercom, asking him and the rest of the basketball team to head over the gymnasium.

Even as he and Chanyeol made their way out of the room, their classmates were cheering for them to “ _kick-ass”_ and _“show em what we’re made of.”_ When his eyes inadvertently wandered towards where Sehun usually sat, he saw the male cheerleader absently looking out the window, clearly more interested at the breeze blowing the leaves on a nearby tree than the high school spirits wafting through the air.

“Jongin, you coming?” Chanyeol’s voice rang through his head and Jongin tore his gaze away _._ Quietly nodding, he followed the Power Forward. _Whatever he’ll be cheering on us later anyway_

The rest of the team are already in the gymnasium when he and Chanyeol arrived, earning them a couple of raised heads and in the case of their Captain, a raised eyebrow.

“Sorry we’re late,” mumbled Jongin as he bowed his head. The rest of the team didn’t seem to mind. Jongin is unsure if from general nonchalance or the nerves that seem to be too palpable in the air.

“Right, we’re expecting the guest team to arrive in 2 hours. Until then, get some snacks and make sure you keep hydrated. I don’t want any of you cramping on the court.” Their coach said while they all grabbed their prepacked sandwiches courtesy of the school’s cafeteria.

When they finished off their sandwiches and fruit packs, the team sat in clusters, talking amongst themselves. Mostly about mundane stuff while some others took to talking about their guests and, as most boys in high school, the pretty cheerleaders that will surely be accompanying the opposing team.

“Nah bro, I’m betting my whole allowance none of them are as pretty as the girls on our Cheer Squad.” One of the newer players commented, gaining him a scoff from his peers.

“That may be so, but at least they probably don’t have guys in their team.” Another said earning him a scoff from the others and Jongin felt a ringing in his ears and his gut dropped.

“You say that but Luhan is easily the prettier than the other school’s cheerleaders, trust me,” Kris said in passing which seemed to have shut them up. Jongin remained silent.

A few more minutes of rest later, Coach blew on his whistle and the players slowly got up from their seats, falling into warm-up positions as Chanyeol, Jongin, and Kris led. While they continued to do their pre-game routine, the gymnasium slowly filled with students who didn’t want to risk losing good seats by showing up late.

They were in the middle of the Elbow Shooting Drill when the competing team arrived. Coach told them to halt at once and make nice with their opponents. Surprisingly, the atmosphere wasn’t tense and the players from BH Academy seemed to be quite friendly. Taking turns shaking each player’s hand, the players greeted each other with smiles on their face and a spring to their step before going to their respective corners.

Following the basketball players were their own student delegates who came to support the game and the cheer squad in their tight ponytails, high socks, and pretty skirts. Jongin looked around when he realised their own cheerleaders haven’t made an appearance yet.

Coach clearly had the same thought, but was much more vocal about his annoyance. Calling on one of the students on the ringside, he told him to run back to the school and see if he could find out _“what’s the hold up with the girls?”_ Jongin can already feel his stomach fall. Something’s obviously amiss.

By the time the guy they asked to follow up on the Cheer Squad is back, they’re already being called for the Jump Ball. Jongin caught sight of Luhan and Sehun, but the thing is, they’re still wearing the clothes they had this morning and not their supposed cheerleading uniform for the evening. Both teams are just getting in position with the two captains approaching the referee when the whole gymnasium heard the Coach yell, _“what do you mean boycotting the basketball games?!”_

Everybody stood still. All eyes trained on the school staff looking scandalised while both students remained looking sombre. Even the referee held on to the ball to see how this played out. The competing team’s Cheerleaders whispering amongst themselves and the students playing looking all sort of confused. Jongin kept his eyes focused on Sehun, heart beating way too fast. This was obviously his fault and the look Sehun gave him while their Coach cried his most PG profanities only confirmed it.

Luhan kept close to Sehun and nudged on his side as they made their exit, ignoring the threats of disciplinary action from Coach as well as the chorus of boos that fell across the gymnasium. They clearly knew what they were risking by doing this, but the cheerleaders seemed resolute in their position. Just then, while he saw the two boys leave the building, something akin to anger and frustration bubbled inside Jongin. They’re not just punishing him for his stupid comment, they’re taking it personally and are punishing the whole team. _It’s not right!_

“What are you looking at? Time’s ticking, start the game already!” With that said, the game commenced, the EXO High School Wolves clearly taking a hit in the team spirit with the absence of their usually coordinated cheerleaders yelling their choreographed support. The student body, bless them, tried to fill that void. Yelling on top of their lungs and stomping their feet in their best attempt to recreate their school’s most well-known cheer.

Half-time saw the Home Team behind by a staggering 30 points. The coach was understandably dissatisfied and he definitely didn’t mince his words. “Guys c’mon, what the hell was that play!? Its shit is what it is. You’re all better than this.”

Jongin kept his head low but chanced a glance at Kris who seemed like he was flustered. He then remembered his talk with the captain this morning. How he promised his Senior that he wouldn’t let them down. _Not again._ Then he thought of the way Sehun stared at him earlier. He’ll show him. He’ll wipe that blank expression off his face and prove that they don’t need them to win a game. They’re nothing more than accessories. Something pretty to look at while the Basketball Team basked in their glory. Besides, they have the rest of the school supporting them and that should be more than enough. With a renewed vigour, Jongin listened closely to their Coach’s new strategy. They’ll win the first game of the season. _They have to._

Before they could resume play, Kris pulled Jongin to the side. “Hey, are you cool to play? I can take you off the second half if you need to cool off.”

Jongin was offended and it showed. “I’m fine. Let me play. I told you, I’m gonna fucking win us this game.” His voice was surprisingly still even as his eyes flared with what can only be described as passionate fury. Kris simply nodded and let go of his arm.

The third quarter saw them reduce their gap by 27 points, 15 of which were all thanks to Jongin. The whole gymnasium was on the edge of their seats as the last quarter began. The BH Cheer Squad kept on their routine with the support of the handful of students they brought with them. This was only flooded by the continuous chanting from Jongin’s own schoolmates.

With only 15 seconds remaining on the clock, the score is 68 to 70 with the Wolves falling behind. Yixing held the ball and was struggling to get past the guest school’s defences when Jongin gestured to himself. Without hesitation, his teammate and friend threw him the ball which Jongin caught with ease.

10 seconds remaining. Jongin could make it. Running and dodging his opponents, Jongin stepped close to the three-point mark and made his shot.

8 seconds and the whole building stood still. With the ball flying towards the basket, victory seemed too close. He can make it. _He has to._

3 seconds left. The ball hit the rim, circled it once and… fell off the side just as the buzzer rang. He heard the distant cheering from the visiting team and felt his heart drop to his stomach. _He failed… again._

Jongin only moved from his position when he felt Chanyeol pull him towards a line, shaking hands once again with their opponents as they announced them the winner for tonight’s match. He didn’t even remember when they got to the locker room and could only hear echoes of sympathies from his teammates. Their coach clearly upset, telling them to hit the showers and go home.

With a final outburst, Jongin let out a very long, frustrated cry as he threw his bag against the metal lockers, startling everyone. Kris, being the calm and collected man that he is, told the rest of the team to go on with their business while he sequestered Jongin to the side for what seemed like the third time that day.

“Hey, look at me.” He didn’t.

“Kim Jongin, I said _fucking_ look at me!” This time Jongin forced himself to face the disappointment in Kris’ face, but instead what he saw were a brother’s kind and understanding eyes. Behind him was Chanyeol who held the same soft gaze.

“It’s the first match okay? It’s not the end yet. We can still bounce back from this and I can’t do that if I don’t have you here with us, giving your 100%.” Kris’ voice was gentle and yet still firm. Jongin hoped that if he ever makes it Captain someday, that he’ll have the same resolve as Kris. “now, go take a shower. I’m driving you home.”

“Can I also hitch a ride?” Chanyeol butted meekly and Kris only gave him a raised brow before nodding. It was all it took for the gentle giant to smile again before wrapping one long arm around Jongin, rubbing his shoulders as an act of comfort and reassurance. He wouldn’t say it now but he definitely appreciated the gesture.

The rest of the ride back home up until he went to bed, Jongin kept his silence. Not trusting how the words will come out of his mouth one bit. Kris gave him one last pat on the head while Chanyeol bid him goodbye with a smile.

That night, Jongin was once again deprived of a visit from Hypnos, staying up until the early hours of the morning with his mind filled with images of Sehun’s piercing glare, his Coach’s disappointed sigh, and the ball rolling off to the side of the hoop.

Tuesday was supposed to be a glorious day for Jongin. He’d pictured it to include cheers of congratulations from his peers. Alas, he was instead treated to sympathy smiles, and hushed whispers. Last night’s loss has been a huge topic, only shadowed by the Cheer Squad openly issuing a boycott of all foreseeable Basketball Games in such short notice. Regardless, Jongin was at the epicentre of both controversies and he wishes he could’ve just stayed home that day.

Arriving at homeroom in just the nick of time, Jongin scurried to apologize to their advisor before rushing into his seat, eyes seeking out Sehun who doesn’t seem to notice or care about the commotion.

“Dude, you look like a mess.” Chanyeol graciously reminded him from behind, his big head way too close for comfort. Luckily, their teacher wasn’t really one for classroom chit chat and reprimanded him into paying attention to today’s lessons. Chanyeol had the audacity to look sickly innocent and if Jongin had something to eat that morning, he might have barfed from the obvious act.

Once homeroom was done, the class began to pour out of the room and on to their respective classes. Jongin once again found himself focusing on the spot of the blond head, calling out to the cheerleader to apologise properly this time. He was just about to reach out to him when he found himself being accosted by Chanyeol’s gangly arms and Sehun disappeared into a corner.

“Chanyeol, holy shit what!?”Jongin’s face was a cross between annoyance and desperation. _Can he just have one day without this moron he calls a friend bothering him!_

“Sheesh man, chill. I just wanted to ask if you want to have my protein bar? You look like you haven’t eaten yet.” _Okay so maybe he can sometimes bother him._ Jongin silently took the bar from his friend, giving him a playful shove and a smirk as they made their way into the next period. He got the whole day to talk to Sehun anyway.

Turns out, he didn’t have the whole day to talk to Sehun, or at least he could have if not for the constant barrage of people and issues he ran into. After Chanyeol and their History lessons, it was Yixing who he ran into, taking his sweet time to tell him about this fascinating turtle documentary he watched over the weekend. Jongin was at least 33% sure it had something to do with turtles outliving the dinosaurs due to the fact that they have their own shells. Jongin isn’t sure that was at all factual. By the time Yixing was finished with his story, it was almost time for the next period and Sehun was nowhere to be seen again. Doesn’t matter, he shares lunch period with him anyway.

The rest of the morning passed like a blur to Jongin. They had a Geometry Quiz but other than that, Sehun made himself scarce around him. Once the lunch bell rang, Jongin gathered his books and made a beeline towards his locker to deposit whatever subject he’s done with for the day and grab anything that he would need for the afternoon lectures.

He was just about to head into the cafeteria when he heard an announcement over the intercom asking him to _please head into the Student Council office immediately._ He decided to ignore it initially, but then he remembered who the sitting President is and Jongin begrudgingly made his way to the third floor of the building.

It didn’t surprise him to see Kris already in the office standing behind Kim Junmyeon, arms crossed as he leaned against the wall. What he didn’t expect, however, was Sehun and Luhan sitting across the President. They seemed to be discussing something but fell silent once they noticed his presence. _Great, they’re gossiping about me in here as well._

“Jongin, thanks for coming in,” Junmyeon said in his most diplomatic voice.

“Sure, it’s not like I had a choice.” Kris gave him a look but Junmyeon seemed to not hear his comment. That or he deliberately ignored it as he simply gestured for him to take a seat. Jongin obliged to this as well, making a show of dragging his chair away from Sehun who kept pointedly staring at the Zen Garden on Junmyeon’s desk.

“Well, as you may all be aware by now, an official notice has been sent by the Cheerleading Squad yesterday about their plan to suspend all activities that include the basketball team.” Junmyeon began and Jongin could only spare a glance at Sehun who has not moved an inch.

“Now, although this memo has its own merits, I am wary of the repercussions it may have, not only to the basketball team,” he glanced at Jongin before turning his gaze on to Sehun, “but the whole student body as well. School Spirit is undoubtedly a crucial factor in keeping the students motivated, believe it or not. In fact, a study suggests that above three-quarters or 75% of students with high school spirit report to perform above average academically in contrast to 41% of students…”

“Jun, you’re getting off-topic.” Kris leaned in and for once Jongin is thankful for his captain’s weird relationship with his brother.

“Well, yeah right sorry,” the Student Council President blushed, “what I am saying here is, unfortunately, we cannot accept the Cheer Squad’s petition to absolve from all obligations including the Basketball team. Yesterday’s incident, for a lack of a better term, blindsided us and the only reason it happened was that we didn’t have enough time to prevent it.”

Something about the way Junmyeon spoke always emanated an air of authority. He has a way of making people feel exactly the way he wants them to feel. The scary part about it was he never once raises his voice, not that Jongin was aware of anyway and he’s lived with this guy all his life. Junmyeon pointedly looked towards Sehun and Luhan who seemed to look offended for a second before shifting to a look of distress. His brother is clearly getting through to them.

“With that being said, I can sympathise with the reason why the Cheer Squad may have felt offended by comments recently made by the Basketball team. Their apprehension to work with you is valid.” This time it was Jongin and Kris’ turn to look embarrassed by their own actions.

“Jesus Christ, can we just get on with it? I’ve got Chemistry in 30 minutes and I haven’t eaten lunch yet!” Jongin was the brave one this time to keep Junmyeon on track, absolutely hating the prolonged torture that is his Brother’s mightier than thou speech. He knew where this is going and at the moment, he’d gladly take any compromise he’d be offered if it meant getting back to his free hour and have a bite of lunch at least before afternoon classes.

“ _Anyway,_ ” Junmyeon coughed, voice suddenly sharp while he looked pointedly at his younger brother. “What I am proposing is that as punishment for Jongin’s insensitive comments, he will be joining the Cheer Squad for a month.” He did not get to finish it when all four other individuals in the room voiced out their opposition. Junmyeon kept his calm while he let the others yell it out for a minute.

“I’m sorry, you all seem to be under the impression that this is negotiable. Might I remind you all that yesterday’s ruckus has had a significant negative impact not only on the Cheer Squad but the Basketball Team as well? Impact that, if I remember correctly, would be taken into consideration in the next budget meeting which is happening in…” He paused looking through his calendar, “two months.” With a wicked smile, Junmyeon allowed everyone to steep in their own misery for a moment before he continued.

“As I was saying, Jongin will not partake in any Basketball activities during dedicated Cheer Squad practice and he will be supervised by someone in the team to report on his activities. Sehun, as you were gracious enough to suggest a boycott yesterday, I feel it right that you be the one to monitor Jongin’s activities. This report will include a log of activities done throughout Squad Meetings and Practices as well as a progress report.” Junmyeon paused for a moment and if Jongin knew his brother, which he did, he knew something else is coming up, “and just to make sure you don’t get too distracted during this time of reflection, I’m going to be asking the Basketball Coach to revoke your game privileges, meaning you’re not allowed to play any matches for the next month.” _There it is, the fucking cherry on top!_

Accepting his fate, Jongin must have looked as miserable as he felt, but when his eyes landed on Sehun, he saw a look that can only be described as murderous, but hey, at least he’s no longer looking at Jongin with a perpetual resting bitch face. _God help him, this is going to be a long month!_


	2. Dropping Dimes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jongin starts his month-long agony as a Cheerleader and along the way, figures that there’s more to the Cheer Squad than meets the eye. He still thinks this whole charade is stupid though and can’t wait for the month to be over... or can he?

Wednesdays shouldn’t be this awful. People talk about it being Hump Day like it’s meant to be something exciting! Jongin begged to differ. On Wednesday after his god-awful meeting with his traitorous brother just the day before, he found himself walking into Basketball practice only to be stopped by Kris.

“Jongin,” He said, arms crossed as they met halfway across the court, “you know you can’t be here.”

“Oh for fuck’s sake Kris, grow a pair! My brother will get over his bullshit sooner or later.” He said, persisting to manoeuvre away from the Captain which seemed so futile. Fucking Forward Defence bullshit!

“Look, man, it’ll be in everybody’s best interest if you just go with Junmyeon’s order okay? Besides, he said you just have to miss practice with us if it overlaps with the Cheer Squad’s schedule. It’s not like he banned you from actually playing.” There was a pause as Jongin stayed pinned to the ground, furrowed brows probably noticeable even as he looked down.

Kris took the silence as a sign of complacency and continued, “It’s a month Jongin. They don’t even meet every day. Besides, this might be a good thing, you know? Get to know the team a little bit more and earn their trust again.”

 _“Screw you and your sound logic. You fucking sound like Jongin!”_ Was what Jongin wanted to say, but instead, he simply muttered “fine, I’m going” in his quietest voice.

With one last attempt to guilt-trip Kris, Jongin sighed and started to slowly walk away from his teammates, head hung low before turning back to give them his saddest kicked puppy expression. When that didn’t work, his soft eyes sharpened and suddenly flipped the bird at his Captain and by extension the cowards he used to call ‘friends.’

Heading towards the open baseball field behind the gymnasium, Jongin saw the Cheerleaders were already pretty much done with their warm-up and are going into practice position. Each step he took felt heavier than that last and with each one, so does his heart drop an inch towards his pit.

He spotted Sehun first, and by the time the cheerleader turned around, soft blond hair gleaming under the afternoon sun, Jongin was already less than a hundred feet away. As he got closer, other features began to form; like the way, Sehun’s eyebrows furrowed in annoyance, his nose flaring as he took a long sigh, and his lips drawn into a very thin line. None of these phased Jongin so he returned the dissatisfied expression with a smirk. This seemed to have upset Sehun even more as he crossed his arms.

“You’re 30 minutes late.” His supposed supervisor said, tapping his foot to the ground.

“Congratulations, you have a basic grasp of the concept of time.” Jongin simply deadpanned as he dropped his gym bag unceremoniously on the ground.

“You do know that this is going on your daily report, right?” Jongin rolled his eyes at this. Oh, snap Sehun got him on that one!

“I am trembling with fear.” His tone remained neutral, clearly unimpressed with these empty threats.

“Let me break it down in simpler terms for you moron. Your brother will surely be reading these reports and if he sees you’re slacking off he would no doubt, extend this whole charade for god knows how long and I am not willing to spend one minute more than I have to, babysitting you!”

What Sehun said made absolute sense. Jongin has lived long enough with Junmyeon to know that underneath his genuine leadership qualities and overall nice guy persona, he’s got a sadistic streak. He can see his brother extending this thing just for the heck of it. Both men stood there in silence, Sehun with his arms crossed and Jongin with his lips pouting in thought.

A moment later, he simply shrugged. “Fine, where do you want me then? Which one am I tossing in the air today?”

Walking towards the group, he found himself forcefully pulled back by the collar of his shirt. “You are not going anywhere near my Flyers,” Sehun whispered in his ear, sending a shudder down his spine which he correlated with surprise.

Pulling him back behind him, Sehun clapped at everyone to pay attention, asking the Bases to carefully assist the Flyers down as he said, “listen up everybody! As you may be well aware by now, our motion to abstain from attending all Basketball games this season has been denied. Instead, Junmyeon has made the gracious offer to loan us one of the Wolves for a month. I’m sure there is a moral lesson here somewhere, but that’s for all of you to figure out internally. In the meantime, please help me welcome the Vice-captain of our Basketball Team, Kim Jongin.”

Stepping forward from behind Sehun, it was then that Jongin realized the looks of disdain the majority of the team bore on him. Surprisingly, he saw Luhan, who has just come down, give him a warm smile. Nervously, he waved at the people he had just insulted not even a week ago. Their sharp eyes and half-hearted claps might as well have been tomatoes and cabbages and Jongin is just mentally preparing for the worst.

When the longest 10 seconds of Jongin’s life ended, Sehun commanded everyone to get back into position. As their number started, Sehun stayed behind observing everything as Jongin awkwardly stood beside him, unsure of what to do with his hands.

“I still don’t know what you want me to do.” He leaned towards Sehun, not wanting to cause any more distraction than he already did when he showed up.

“What can you do, Jongin? You don’t know the routine, you’re unwieldy so I can’t have you tossing or being tossed in the air, and you will ruin the formation if I just throw you out there.” Sehun said, not once taking his eyes off the team.

“Shit, in that case, may I just be excused and go back to the gymnasium?” A second later, he realised this was the wrong question to ask because Sehun finally tore his gaze away from his teammates and trained them on Jongin. Has he always been taller than me?

“Fine, you want something to do? Go and buy us some water.”

“Okay, uhm… should I just ask everyone to chip in?”

Sehun stared at him for a moment before saying, “think of it as part of your initiation.”

He was about to protest, but he supposes this is better than just standing there awkwardly, spending precious time doing nothing. Still, has he just been demoted to a glorified water boy? Jongin didn’t get to contemplate for long as Sehun waved him away.

The nearest convenience store from the school was barely a couple of minutes away, However, Sehun didn’t say he had to get refreshments from there so Jongin took advantage of going to the next store. The walk towards the store was probably the only moment of peace Jongin had since Friday. The street was quiet save the occasional car passing by and the afternoon breeze felt so relaxing against his skin.

Perhaps the only thing better was the cool blast of the Convenience Store air conditioner. Jongin sighed as he got in, relieved that he didn’t have to roast under the sun for a while. He wished he could just stay in here until it’s time to go home, but he can just imagine Sehun’s disappointed look and Jongin groaned. He told himself he’s doing this so he doesn’t have to extend his time, wasting away under those pompous Pom-pom shaking fucktards.

Paying for his items, Jongin took his sweet time counting his change and thanking the cashier who simply looked bored. By the time he got back to the field, everyone was sitting on a circle by the ground save Sehun who, as Jongin has come accustomed to by now, had furrowed brows and thin lips. “Well, you certainly took your time.” 

“You didn’t say where I should buy the water,” Jongin responded rather cheekily, drawing pleasure from the way Sehun’s perfect little nose flares up.

Snatching the bottles from Jongin’s hands, Sehun called out the rest to get their refreshments. The basketball player took note of the way Sehun grabbed an extra bottle just for Luhan.

Perhaps his gaze was too obvious because one of the girls came up to him and said, “Don’t mind them, those two are pretty much joined by the hips.”

“No, I didn’t—” Jongin was just about to rebut but she was already leaving, looking back to Jongin with a wink.

After their short break, Sehun told everybody to get into position. Approaching Jongin, he instructed him to man their crudely set up sound system which consisted of a Bluetooth speaker and a phone. Afterwards, the cheerleader rushed into position like the rest of the team. With his cue, Jongin played the ever-important role of pressing play and watching each and every one of them break into wide smiles. Yes, even Sehun.

As he stood there, Jongin observed the way the team moved in almost perfect synchrony. He was in awe of the way the ladies (and the men) moved to their places, clapping and yelling on cue. Sehun, in particular, moved with such precision and grace that Jongin kept his eyes locked onto him. The way his brows furrowed when he focused on a particular cheer had such a commanding aura; the way he stood, strong and unwavering as his muscles flexed while he lifted and held the Flyers in his arms and for a moment, Jongin wondered how it would feel to trust someone to hold you and never let go. None of these, however, compared to the way Sehun smiled, wide and bright and full of confidence as they ended their routine. 

Jongin didn’t even realise he was clapping until he saw Sehun look at him, startled. Embarrassed, Jongin stopped just as the other boy shot him a smirk. Avoiding his gaze, he looked down to pause the next music on the playlist which was yet another cheer routine.

“Okay listen up everyone,” Sehun called out after he took his phone back from Jongin. Everybody gathered in a semicircle, with the newbie mixing in with the crowd. “That was a great practise today, but we’re nowhere near perfect. We’ve booked the gymnasium for tomorrow and we’ll be working on our stunt work so I hope everybody can make it. If you can’t, please let me or Luhan know ahead and please don’t be late!” Jongin kinda expected the pointed look sent his way and in return, he gave Sehun a sarcastic smile.

After the announcement, everybody seemed to have dissipated slowly, going on their separate ways and Jongin was kinda left there, unsure of what he should do. Awkwardly, he slowly went to grab his bag and was already walking away from the others when he felt a hand on his shoulder. He was surprised to see it was Luhan.

“Where do you think you’re going?” He asked, an amused look on his face.

Jongin thought it was obvious, but he answered regardless. “Uh, home I suppose? I’m not sure where you guys go after practice and I don’t think I’m invited.”

“He meant you’re not allowed to go home yet,” Sehun interjected from behind, catching up to them with a cheer megaphone on hand. “You didn’t think the equipment should be left here in the open overnight right?”

Jongin got it. _‘Part of his initiation’_ he thought as he groaned. No point in arguing at this point honestly. Putting his bag back down, he went over to pick up the pom-poms scattered all around them, dumping them on a separately labelled container.

For the next 15 minutes, the three boys worked in silence or rather, Jongin worked while Sehun and Luhan supervised by talking amongst themselves, clearly engrossed in whatever shit they’re watching. Jongin felt sick to his stomach. _Assholes._

Once he was done organising the equipment on their respective containers, the duo finally came over and helped pick them up back to the storage room inside the gymnasium. Jongin, for once, hoped his teammates were done with their practice as well. He didn’t think he’d be able to face another bout of humiliation today.

After making sure everything was in order, the three of them made their way back out with Jongin slowly left behind.

“I’ll uh, get going then,” he all but mumbled and stiffly nodded his head, “thanks for today I guess.”

Sehun shrugged while Luhan gave him a warm smile. Jongin turned around and made his way out of the school, checking his phone to make sure he could still catch his bus. He was just walking by the sidewalks when he heard a honk from behind that startled him. Turning around he saw it was Luhan driving, and to nobody’s surprise, Sehun was in the front seat, looking bored as all hell.

“Hey, where are you headed?” The older man asked which Jongin answered in the general direction of his home.

“Get in then, we are driving that way anyway.” This seemed to have garnered a reaction from Sehun who looked up from his phone and glared at Luhan. _Right, he can take the hint._

“No need, my bus is gonna be here in 10 minutes anyway.” He excused, scratching the back of his head.

“Nonsense!” Was the response he got. Luhan seemed to purposely ignore Sehun’s heated gaze as he continued. “Come on, you must be tired from walking 5 blocks over for our water plus with all the standing around you did today.”

The young man scoffed at that. _At least one of them has a sense of humour._ He then nodded and got inside, putting his bag carefully beside him as he let the cool air blast over his face.

Unsure of what to do with himself, Jongin sat in silence after telling them his address, letting Luhan do most of the talking while Sehun gave short responses every now and then, clearly more interested in looking at his Instagram feed and changing the car music every other song.

“Hey Jongin, what do you think about kissing booths for school fairs?” The oldest of the three asked, looking at the rearview mirror, waiting for an answer.

“Not the worst idea I suppose? I mean you gotta endure some garlic breath and make sure to watch for mono, but what’s the worst that could happen right? Besides, it’ll be a really good fundraiser.”

“Thank you! My Sehunnie here thinks it’s a dumb idea and just wants to do another maid cafe like last year.” He didn’t miss the way Luhan called the other his and just like that, his mood turned, simply giving Luhan a smile before falling back to silence.

He didn’t notice the way a set of bored-looking eyes stole a look from the mirror and before he knew it, they’re stopping in front of his house. Jongin thanked Luhan once again for the ride and bid both boys a good evening.

“See you tomorrow, _Sehunnie._ ” Was the last thing he said as he stepped out. He barely heard the _‘yeah whatever,’_ when he closed the door behind him.

Thursdays aren’t supposed to be too bad. Jongin usually had them off from practice so he can focus on any assignments he may have to do. This week he wasn’t afforded such luxury. Showing up in time for the Cheer Squad practice, Sehun had told him to set up for practice which included pulling out the equipment from the storage space, laying down the safety mats, and manning the sound system.

By the time the group had their first break, Sehun had him running errands again such as picking up water _‘from the store just outside the campus’_ and somehow, he was put in charge of picking up trash.

Right after practice, Jongin was left together with Luhan and Sehun to clean up the mess and then as he did on the first day, hitched a ride back home. So far it has been pretty much the same experience. Sehun bosses him around during practice and ignores him throughout the whole ride up until Jongin bids him goodbye, to which he replies with a curt nod or if he is lucky a grunt.

All these things, Jongin did without complaint and it went on for two more days because apparently, the Cheer Squad did also meet on Saturdays at the park and Jongin was obliged to join. On Monday, however, things went a little differently.

For one, Sehun asked Jongin to join the warm-up. Afterwards, while everybody broke into clusters to practice their routine and places, he was pulled to the side by the Duo that he’s come to know as ‘HunHan.’

“Okay so, Sehun and I have been thinking,” Luhan started while Sehun stayed silent beside him, “maybe it would be in yours and our best interest to finally let you do some cheerleading.”

Jongin was silent for a bit too after that. He had to admit, all the going back and forth being a glorified errand boy is getting tiring now. Nevertheless, he still had his reservations. “Are you sure Sehun is on board with that?” 

The guy looked indignant and uncrossed his arms. Jongin had prepared for a barrage of insult, instead what he got was Sehun, directing one of his infamous bright smiles at him for once while he said, “we’d really like it if you could join us for practice and learn the routine.”

Startled, Jongin stared at him or a second, slack-jawed before shrugging, “yeah I mean… yeah, that’s what I was supposed to be doing here anyway.”

“Great, we’re all making peace then,” Luhan said, enthused. “Sehun will be teaching you some of the routine and the cheers today and tomorrow.”

The thought of spending two days alone, together with the guy he pseudo-bullied throughout high school, who now has all the power over him terrified Jongin. However, this also meant Sehun wouldn’t be glued to Luhan’s side and somehow, that sat right with Jongin. He told himself it was because he found it weird and creepy how the two of them were inseparable outside their respective classes.

“Sounds like a solid plan to me!” He smiled, ultimately just happy to be doing something else other than being the cheer squad’s lackey.

Turns out, Sehun was a very patient teacher despite his personal history with his new student. Sehun handed him a copy of their school cheers to go through together. Sehun, Jongin found, taught the way he cheered — with passion and. While going through the chants together, Sehun would often pause and repeat the rhythm until Jongin got it right before moving to another section. It felt almost as if any animosity between them had melted away, taken by the setting sun.

Afterwards, while the rest of the team were practising some of the more advanced choreographies and stunts, Jongin was learning mostly the stunt positions and hand movements. Luckily for him, he’s watched enough from the sidelines and has seen the Cheerleaders perform in countless games and various Cheerleading Demonstrations that he was pretty much a quick study on the various motions. Even Sehun looked impressed.

“What like it’s hard?” Jongin said in his best Elle Woods impersonation. He thought that would’ve been hilarious. Sehun clearly didn’t as his previously easy expression hardened. Jongin mentally cursed himself.

“I-- that’s not what I meant Sehun.” The man was already turning his heels, yelling at everyone to take another break before they did a quick dry run of the entire program.

Jongin was just about to catch up to him when Sehun sharply said: “I think that’s enough practice for today Jongin.”

With hands up in the air and silent resignation, Jongin gave Sehun one last look before stepping away, volunteering instead to grab water for the entire team. _He was so close. Why did he have to run his mouth off again?_

By the time he got back, everybody only had time to grab a bottle and squeeze a quick drink before they were being called into. Sehun chose not to hydrate despite him reminding everyone to do so. Jongin chose to ignore the heavy lead that settled in his stomach.

That afternoon, the tension between them is still palpable and when Luhan dropped him off to his house, Jongin tried to dispel it by giving him his usual goodbyes. Luhan waved him off with a smile, but Sehun conveniently had to scroll through his Instagram feed. _Welp, that’s what you get for running your mouth off._

After a quick exchange with Luhan that night and a series of shameless begging, the following morning saw Jongin conveniently waiting by Sehun’s locker with a cup of his usual coffee shop order and a bear claw. The moment he saw Sehun’s unmistakable bleached hair start getting closer, Jongin put on his dopiest grin. Not surprisingly, Luhan was with him, but beside them was also Tao who is currently wearing a black jacket that looked suspiciously familiar. Luckily, he split from the duo to head into his locker, but not before giving Sehun (and Luhan) a hug. Jongin decided he didn’t care.

The moment they spotted Jongin, Luhan whispered something into Sehun’s ear that bothered him. He then waved at Jongin before hugging Sehun, (again, Jonign decided it’s none of his business) before turning left towards the stairs.

With Sehun alone, Jongin was suddenly too aware of his surroundings. It didn’t help either that his classmate was suddenly acknowledging his presence by looking directly at him while he made his way towards his locker.

“What do you want Jongin?” _When did he get this close to him?_

“Good morning to you too, _Sehunnie_ ,” he began, slowly recovering his senses and added, “can I just say how good you look this morning?”

Sehun, who Jongin noted, was wearing a black sports band on his head with an oversized powder blue shirt over black & white striped T-shirt and pink shorts gave him a raised brow.

“Okay fine, I’m sorry about yesterday okay? I didn’t mean it like that. That was a dumb joke and I know now how much effort and practice you guys put into perfecting your routine. I promise I’ll try not to be too insensitive from now on and if I make any more snide remarks about you or cheerleading, you have my permission to just smack me in the head or whatever — not that I am hoping that you would…” Jongin paused for a while, gauging Sehun’s reaction and then held out the still steaming cup and paper bag in front of the other man. “White chocolate mocha with extra whip and bear claw?”

Sehun kept silent for three more seconds (approximately a whole minute in Jongin’s mind) before grabbing the offering, but not without eyeing it suspiciously.

“I swear there’s no laxative in there if that’s what you’re worried about.” Jongin insisted.

“That’s exactly what someone who put laxative in my drink would say,” Sehun said but took a sip nonetheless. Jongin had to beam, still standing there. “What are you still doing here?”

“Right, yeah uhh, I’ll see you around then.” Jongin was just about to run off when he heard Sehun call back to him again. He almost twisted his ankle turning back but he didn't mind.

“This doesn’t mean I forgive you. Don’t be late for practice later or I’ll have to start smacking your head,” Jongin just gave Sehun heart fingers and a wink before ducking into a corner, his smile as wide as his face.

He was five minutes late for practice that day and Sehun flicked his forehead. Jongin pouted but it was ignored instead of the two of them reviewing the choreography one more before moving on to the rest of the routine. Jongin would like to credit himself for being a good student, but it was mostly because Sehun was a great choreographer and teacher. By the time they were about to go home, he had the whole routine practically memorised.

Sehun made him a spotter so thankfully he wouldn’t be doing too many crazy stunts but he’s still got a long way to go before he could be entrusted to participate in the group performance. He didn’t mind too much cos Sehun told him he’d have him to practice with anyway.

Later on their ride back home, Jongin was about to say goodbye when he heard Sehun say, “see you tomorrow and great job today,” before going back into his phone, already scrolling through his feed. Jongin didn’t get to say anything, mostly because he suddenly lost his voice but also because Luhan was already speeding off. By the time he found the words, the car was already a small dot on the far end of their street. Nevertheless, he thought he’d let the wind carry his message for him. _“Thanks, Sehunnie,”_

Mondays should be awful, but Jongin just can’t seem to hate today. For the last few days, he’s spent pretty much every after school Cheer Squad practice perfecting the routine and on Friday right after his basketball practice when the team were on their way home to make way for Cheer practice, Sehun told him that he’s confident enough to let Jongin practice with the rest of the team. Somehow it made something bubble up inside him. 

Jongin was on his way to homeroom when he felt lanky arms wrap around his shoulders and sure enough, Chanyeol had made an appearance, his expression just as bright as the morning sun.

“Hey man, what’s up?” He asked as they passed a group of ladies looking at them and blushing.”

“Dude we were together all weekend shooting hoops.” Jongin deadpanned, even as his fond expression betrayed him.

“Yeah, but a lot could have happened last night.” Chanyeol shrugged, his huge hands pounding on Jongin’s chest. He didn’t really mind though, thinking that perhaps his friend had been missing him ever since he was sequestered into being a Cheerleader himself.

“So what has my best friend been up to lately huh?” _Yep, just Chanyeol being a cling pup._

Giving in, Jongin recounted the whole of last week including the way he’d embarrassed himself in front of the whole team for clapping after their choreography ended to which Chanyeol gave a booming laugh.

Throughout the day, Jongin found himself in a delightful mood. They did have a couple of quizzes, but he was confident he’d score decently on those. He didn’t even mind going up to the Student Council office for lunch when Junmyeon had him called. Turns out, he had pizza delivered for the student staff who was elbow deep in work for the upcoming school festival.

“So, how was the cheerleading going?” Junmyeon asked in an attempt to make small talk when he was too busy sorting through their budget.

“Yeah, like you haven’t been reading the progress reports _Sehunnie’s_ been sending you.” It was too late when he caught the slip and Junmyeon was already looking at him with a raised brow. Already in damage control mode, Jongin quickly added. “I mean it’s going fine. Everyone’s good to me so far and I think they’re growing on me just as much as I am on them.”

The last part, he said wistfully. Luckily for him, Junmyeon didn’t pry much more. He instead gave his brother a warm understanding smile and said, “I’m glad you’re all getting along together then.”

“Thank you.” The rest of the sentence hung onto the air while Jongin finished his slice and Junmyeon his word document. 10 minutes before lunch finished, he made his way back to class and told Junmyeon he’d see him at home.

He was almost by the door when he ran into Kris and just said, “he’s pretty busy right now so make sure he gets home at a reasonable time okay? I’ll see you for practice tomorrow, Cap.”

He didn’t wait for Kris to answer before he’s speeding down the stairs, skipping two steps at a time and almost bumping into a student just as he landed on the ground floor.

Once he got over the doozy Literature lecture he had, the rest of the afternoon passed by blinkingly. Soon, Jongin found himself in the gymnasium again, helping out by scattering the cheer mats.

By the time warm-ups and stretches were done, Jongin found himself looking forward to being a part of the cheer squad routine. He didn’t put too much thought into it though when Sehun asked him to step aside for a bit and Jongin visibly deflated.

Sehun must have sensed his distraught because he quickly said, “I just need you to watch a dry run before you practice with the rest.”

So that’s exactly what Jongin did. For a while, Jongin stayed quiet, playing the music for the team before stepping to the side, arms crossed in front of him, still looking a little pouty. He eventually got over it though as soon as he watched the whole team perform. The Cheer Squad performed like organised chaos. Their moves are fast and sharp; succinct and precise. Sehun, in particular, moved with such focus that nary a strand of hair seemed to be out of place.

Everything seemed to be going well when all of a sudden it happened; Luhan seemed to have lost balance and the Bases underneath it, not expecting this slight hiccup was just a tad too slow to react causing a domino effect that toppled the pyramid. 

Jongin was immediately on the run, barely making it in time to catch Luhan by the time he hit the floor, breaking his fall. There was a loud thud which was accompanied by gasps and before he knew it, half of the team were surrounding them, curious to see what transpired.

“Shit, you okay man?” Jongin said, adrenaline coursing through his body.

The cheerleader must have been too stunned to speak; that or he was seriously hurt. Jongin didn’t have time to choose which one was more accurate as Sehun was soon rushing towards them.

“What were you thinking?!” He cried at Jongin who was just about to answer when Sehun added, “somebody get the first aid kit.”

Soon people were assisting Luhan off of him who kept on insisting he was fine despite the slight limping. He was quickly ushered to the nearest bleacher. Sehun somehow stayed while Jongin tried to stand up only to feel a sharp pain from his wrist. Yelping in agony, he fell again, careful not to press on his injured wrist.

“God you’re such a moron!” Sehun scolded, voice laced with something akin to worry and Jongin, despite just being called a moron cannot find himself to be angry at his classmate. Instead, he used his other arm and leaned against Sehun while he stood up.

“I’m sorry, I should probably take care of this then,” he said, raising his now swollen wrist with difficulty. He heard someone sigh, which he imagined would have been Sehun and added, “don’t worry, I know just what to do. Go take care of Luhan.”

Sehun looked at benches where he saw Luhan being tended by a couple of other cheerleaders and was silent for a moment before he said, “here let me take a look at that.”

Immediately Jongin felt static electricity as soon as Sehun touched him. That and the pain had him wincing to which Sehun mumbled, “oh don’t be a baby,” before leading him towards the bleachers. Asking for someone to get him a bag of ice, Sehun gave him aspirin to dull the pain while they waited.

“So I guess this means you just wasted the better half of last week teaching me for nothing huh?” Jongin’s voice was small and he felt quite guilty for being the dumb fuck who had to jump in front of a falling student.

“Don’t worry about that,” Sehun shrugged, “what about your basketball matches?”

“I mean, the next game is not in another couple of weeks so it should be mostly healed by then.” He reassured him, taking note of the way Sehun sounded. This must have been the first time he’s heard the man sound so concerned about Jongin’s basketball career.

Soon, the guy came back with an ice bag and Jongin held it against his wrist. For the rest of practice, Jongin stayed on the bench Luhan came over to give him a head pat and thank him. He then went over to the rest of the team and still insisted he was fine. Shrugging, Sehun told everyone to go on with practice and to nobody’s surprise, Luhan was able to do stunts with little to no difficulty. Jongin was glad he didn’t suffer any injury.

After practice, Jongin was absolved of clean up duties and Sehun was gracious enough to help him bandage Jongin’s injured wrist. The simple act of civility between them felt nice and both boys had a silent agreement not to say anything lest they risk ruining this tiny sliver of peace.

On their way home, Sehun took it upon himself to drive for a change which was surprising since Jongin didn’t think he knew how to, or that he was even allowed to do it.

“I have a student’s permit. I’ll be fine,” he explained.

“I think he’s more concerned that the wrist wouldn’t be his only injury today,” Luhan commented and Jongin tried his best not to laugh, to no avail. Sehun only glared at him through the mirror and Jongin said, “not true at all. I’m sure our Sehunnie is a good driver.”

Turns out, he wasn’t. Sehun ran through two red lights, almost forgot to change gears, and worst of all was an angry driver. Jongin was relieved when they pulled into their front gate, closing his eyes in relief for a second before saying his goodbyes,

“Thanks again guys, I’ll see you tomorrow… hopefully?” He said cheekily and heard a snort from Luhan. He was just about to open the gate when he heard the car door open.

“Hey, uh,” it was Sehun, approaching him hesitantly. “I just, here take this,” he continued as he handed a bottle of aspirin to Jongin.

The other boy took the medicine and smiled. “Thanks, I’m sorry again I didn’t get to show off the _mad skills_ you showed me last week to the rest of the team.”

“It’s whatever, just try to heal faster so you can join the choreography.” That should’ve been the end of it, but they stayed there for another beat and Sehun finally said, “thanks again for what you did earlier, but next time try to be careful as well okay? Good night, _Jonginnie_ I’ll see you at school tomorrow.”

Jongin didn’t have time to process what he just heard because suddenly Sehun was speeding off the road. The bottle of Aspirin on hand suddenly felt warm.

_He can’t wait to go to Cheerleading Practice tomorrow!_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everybody! First off, thank you so much for everyone who left a kudos and lovely comments on the first chapter. I was really glad that people liked this story so far. Anyway, just a quick notice cos I know I said this will be updated regularly, but I am moving into a new place this week and pretty much had no time to sit down and just write. I’m posting this Unbeta-ed version now but will clear it up during the day.
> 
> Anyway, I hope you enjoy reading this as much as I did writing it. As always, feel free to drop your feedbacks on the comment section or drop me a message and let me know what you think. Kudos as always are really appreciated. Much love guys and please do try to stay safe wherever you all are!

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you guys, gals, and non-binary pals liked that so far. I am planning to make this a 3 part story depending on my circumstances, but generally, it's not going to be a long-winded slow burn. Kudos are very much appreciated and they keep me motivated and constructive criticisms are always welcome. I have a specific direction and ending in mind, but if you have suggestions, my drafts are usually susceptible to change. I hope to update this every Weekend but might suddenly drop chapters on the DL.


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